


Home is Where the Heart Is

by kawaiisumi



Series: Free! RarePairs Saga [2]
Category: Free!
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, F/M, Family, Kou and Rei's family is so beautiful and pure I'm crying
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-09
Updated: 2018-10-09
Packaged: 2019-07-28 12:27:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16241600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kawaiisumi/pseuds/kawaiisumi
Summary: Their house was on a slope. It was almost peculiar how it sat; nestled deep on a hill, with an old wood fireplace and a matching chimney. He thought that it was bizarre and not beautiful at all, but she had been so in love with the place, he couldn’t bear to let the house go. After all, home wasn’t about the house. It was about who lived in it.Aka, the domestic life of the Ryuugazaki family is oh so sweet.





	Home is Where the Heart Is

**Author's Note:**

> I love ReiKou.... I know they barely have any solo interaction with one another in the series but asdfghjkl I imagine so much love between the two of them. They get really close because of all the planning they do for the swim club in their third year and ahhhhh.
> 
> Rated M for some pre-smut activities, but nothing rather graphic or explicit!

**Home is Where the Heart Is**  
_Aka, the domestic life of the Ryuugazaki family is simple, but wonderful._

After a long day, all he wanted to do was sit down and rest. By the time he got home, it was always dark. Winter had a way of doing that. The sun rose late and set early, leaving his commute to work and his commute home quite dismal. On the way home, it had begun to snow; the slow kind of snow that floated down like the glitter in a snow globe. The powdery snow clung to his toque, his brown trench coat, and even his eyelashes. At least the train station wasn’t far from home.

Their house was on a slope. It was almost peculiar how it sat; nestled deep on a hill, with an old wood fireplace and a matching chimney. He thought that it was bizarre and not beautiful at all, but she had been so in love with the place, he couldn’t bear to let the house go. After all, home wasn’t about the house. It was about who lived in it.

He trekked down the stone steps that snaked across the hill. Snow crunched beneath his black leather dress shoes. He made a note that he would have to wipe them down when he got home, but that thought was forgotten when the house came into view. There was a picturesque window that framed the front of their house, royal blue drapes and the window sill lined with her favourite succulents.

He could see the two girls, their noses pressed against the glass, watching the street carefully. When they saw him, they looked at each other before dashing away. He patted his pockets, looking for his keys. Though, it wasn’t as if he needed them, as the door swung open before he had a chance to pull them out.

“Daddy!” The taller girl exclaimed, latching on to him.

“Hey now… I’m covered in snow, you’re going to get wet!”

She giggled, taking a step back and grabbing her sister’s hand. “You’re cold daddy,” she mused, while her sister nodded, rubbing her arms and shivering to prove a point.

“Yes, yes I know,” He said, ruffling her hair before removing his gloves. He stepped into the foyer, mindful to tap the snow off his shoes on the welcome mat. The two girls ran off into the house, while he hung up his coat on the rack bolted into the door. He still remembered that day, when she had returned from the store, excited to have bought it. 4 hooks, one for each member of the family. He set his briefcase down by the staircase leading upstairs, removing his glasses and trying to wipe the snow off with the hem of his shirt.

“Rei, is that you?”

He put his glasses back on, frowning at the smudges that he would have to fix later with the cloth folded neatly on his side of the nightstand. “Yeah it’s me,” he said, putting on his indoor slippers and following the sound of her voice. “I’m home.”

Kou was in the kitchen, her hair tied up in a neat little bun. “Welcome home,” she said, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.

“How’s the little one doing?” Rei asked, returning the gesture by giving her a peck on the lips.

She smiled, rubbing her bulging tummy fondly. “Doing well, kicking up a storm, but he’s a kicker, just like his daddy.”

He blushed at that comment. “I don’t even really swim anymore,” he replied, helping her set the table for dinner. When they first bought their dining table, it had been the perfect size. It was a small round table made of chestnut wood that Kou often covered with tablecloths and matching placemats. Now, it was still the same table, if not enduring scuff marks and accidental scribbles. Kou picked up the crayons and colouring sheets, “These girls, I swear, they’re always leaving a mess everywhere!” She grumbled, huffing as she deposited their things into the living room.

“They’re just kids,” Rei reassured her, coming up behind her and rubbing her back. “You’re tired. Sit down, I’ll finish setting the table.”

He’d known Kou long enough to know that she never liked to be waited on or have people do things for her. But she’d also been pregnant enough times to know what her limits were. She sighed, sinking into one of the dining room chairs. Her eyes watched him as he moved around the kitchen, he could feel it. He always knew when she was looking at him, even back in high school.

“What did you make?” Rei asked, opening the large pot that was simmering on the stove.

“Miso soup,” she replied. “I was too lazy to make anything fancier.”

He laughed, turning off the stove and setting the lid back on the pot. “Doesn’t matter what you make, as long as there’s no protein powder, I’ll eat it.”

“Oh shut up,” she bit back, a mischievous glimmer in her eye, “I wouldn’t have to if you would just keep your muscles in shape.”

“It always comes back to the muscles doesn’t it?” Rei feigned annoyance, bringing the pot to the table. “Excuse me for giving up sports to take care of our family.”

“You’re annoying,” Kou replied, giving him a playful punch on the shoulder.

He smiled, bending down to give her another kiss on the forehead. “And you’re cute when your angry.”

She huffed, pushing him away. “Aimi, Chou, it’s time for dinner!”

Rei settled in his seat, to the left of Kou’s, listening to the sound of both girls’ footsteps thump down the stairs. To him, his daughters were the most precious little girls to have ever existed. Their first, Aimi, was 8 years old. Rei saw so much of Kou in her. She had the same fiery red eyes and biting personality. She was quick to speak, and would never hesitate to give someone a piece of her mind. It was that kind of sass that had made Rei fall in love with Kou in the first place. Seeing that in his daughter always made his heart feel full. But she wasn’t just like Kou. She had dark blue hair, just like her father. Kou always tied it into a ponytail, but at night she would wear it down. Rei loved to sit with her before bed, brushing her hair as he told her bedtime stories.

When Aimi was 5, they realized she was having trouble seeing. According to her kindergarten teacher, she would always sit in the very front, and yet would still ask what was written on the board. Rei had taken a day off to take her to the doctor, and indeed she needed a pair of glasses. She’d picked a pair of thick framed red glasses, flashing a smile at Rei when she put them on her face. “Look daddy, now I look just like you!” She beamed.

Rei smiled fondly at the memory, fixing his own glasses out of habit. Kou busied herself tucking napkins into the collars of the girls’ shirts, trying to prevent them from getting soup all over themselves, as they often did. Chou was the clumsiest; at 6 years old, she didn’t have the best fine motor skills. But she was a prodigy when it came to sports. She was already a stellar runner. She would’ve put 6-year-old Rei to shame in a race.

She was a rough and tough girl, with the same spunk as her mother. Her dark maroon hair was cropped short, pushed back with a headband to keep her hair out of her face. But Rei was glad she did, because Chou had the most beautiful eyes. She was just like him in that way, big purple irises that bloomed like lavenders when she smiled.

“Daddy, daddy I drew you a picture today,” Chou said, waving her spoon around. The napkin tucked into her shirt was already drenched with soup. “Mommy said that we can put it on the fridge!”

“I’m sure it’s beautiful my little butterfly,” Rei agreed, reaching over to wipe her mouth with another napkin. “What about you Aimi? What did you do today?”

The older girl’s eyes lit up, as she pushed her glasses farther up her nose. “Today I learned about shapes,” she said excitedly. “And all about how to measure them.” She seemed very proud of herself, her smile stretching across her face. “My teacher said I did the best on the worksheets, she gave me a big gold star!”

She looked at Kou, who was wiping up the soup Chou was getting everywhere with a napkin. “Can we put that on the fridge too mommy?”

“Of course, sweetheart!”

XxXxX

The rest of the evening went smoothly. The girls helped put away the dishes, and their work was displayed on the fridge for all to see. Once the girls were tucked into bed, Kou sprawled across her and Rei’s bed like an exhausted starfish. “I love those girls, but they’re such a handful.”

Rei came out of the bathroom with his pajamas on, putting his glasses away in their case on the dresser. “Just wait until they’re teens with teenage girl problems.”

Kou groaned, motioning with her hand for him to come lie down beside her. “You’re so good with them, it’s not fair.” She grumbled, curling up beside him. 

Rei stroked her tummy absently, “You’re good with them too.”

Kou rolled her eyes, looking at him with that incredulous look, “Not as good as you. They spend all afternoon asking when you’re coming home.”

Rei laughed at that, rolling onto his side so that he could look at her properly. “You’re so beautiful,” he said, trying to distract her. He nuzzled his nose against her cheek, and she giggled. She was always so ticklish.

“I’m fat and swollen, there’s nothing beautiful about me right now,” she groaned, flopping her head back into the pillows. “Have you seen my feet? So swollen.”

“Kou, you’re pregnant, not fat,” Rei insisted, sitting up. “Besides, even if you were fat, I would still love you.”

She raised an eyebrow at him, “Oh really?”

Rei smiled, climbing on top of her, mindful not to press against her stomach. “You’d be beautiful no matter if you were fat, skinny, tall, short, or anything in between,” he said matter-of-factly. “After all, you’ve got the most beautiful eyes.” He kissed her brow bone, causing one of her eyelids to flutter closed. “And the most beautiful cheeks.” Rei made his way down, brushing his lips over her soft skin, caressing her face with one of his hands. “A cute little nose… and the most enticing lips.” 

He gently lowered his face to kiss her. Kou moaned happily, wrapping her legs around his hips. Her mouth easily opened, allowing him to slide his tongue between her lips. Their kisses were gentle at first, slowly becoming greedier. Her hands weaved through his dark locks, and he finally pulled away from her, breathing heavily.

“And not just your face. Your body is so beautiful too,” he whispered breathlessly, kissing down her neck. Kou whimpered, craning her neck to allow his head room to roam down her body. His hands slipped under her satin night top, fondly stroking the smooth skin over her baby bump. “You’ve got the softest skin,” he murmured, slowly sliding her shirt up and pulling it over her head.

Her skin broke out in goosebumps from the sudden change in temperature. “Mmm… Rei…” Kou murmured. Her chest rose and fell in shuddering breaths, as his lips kissed her down her collarbones, her sternum, and finally the swell of her breast.

Her breasts were swollen too. She had gone up two bra sizes in her first pregnancy. The ones that followed did nothing but accentuate them more. Her nipples were sensitive. He knew because her body arched into his touch as he slowly pressed the flat of his tongue against it. She gasped quietly, the legs around his hips squeezing. “You… You’re doing this on purpose,” she mumbled breathlessly into his ear.

“And if I am?” He whispered back in hers.

She flushed, looking away without a word. Kou was stubborn. He’d known that for a long time now. But he knew her well enough to know how to make her come undone. But alas, he would save his teasing for another night.

He brought the blankets over them, wrapping his arm around her body. Rei relished in the way her skin felt, warm and tingling with goosebumps as he touched her body. Not in a sexual way, but in an admirative one, tracing shapes and patterns along her pale skin. He had done this since they were young and could not believe they were lying here now. Married, with a family, and another little one along the way.

Rei was blessed. Kou grunted as she turned over on her side, brushing the hair away from his face. “Hey,” she whispered, smiling gently at him. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” He replied, petting her hair until she closed her eyes. It only took a few minutes until her breath evened out. Rei reached to turn off the lamp on the bedside table. When the room was tucked into the night, he nuzzled up against Kou. Their baby turned happily in the womb, settling down for the night as well.

This was his home he had spent years building up. He pressed one last kiss on the top of Kou’s head.

And he was so glad he got to share it with the woman he loved the most.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed!!
> 
> Fun Facts:
> 
> \- Aimi's name means "Beautiful Love"  
> \- Chou's name means "Butterfly"  
> \- Aimi's middle name is Nagisa bc Nagisa is Rei's best friend and the reasoning he and Kou met uwu


End file.
